Report by Dr. Talal Osman
Kingsley Coman scored a hat‑track while Angelo and Abdullah Al‑Hamdan each added one goal, as Al‑Nassr overturned an early deficit to thrash Qatari side Al Ahli 5–1 on Wednesday in the AFC Champions League Two semi‑final first leg.
How the match unfolded
Al Ahli took a surprise lead after Al‑Nassr goalkeeper Bento saved a penalty struck by Julian Draxler in the 7th minute. The visitors then opened the scoring in the 11th minute, when Sekou Yansane cut in from the right, dribbled past Inigo Martinez and Sadio Mane, and slid a low shot into the far corner to give the Qatari side a 1–0 advantage.
Bayern‑linked winger Kingsley Coman leveled for Al‑Nassr just one minute later, after Angelo picked up the ball on the left, drove into the box, and slipped it to the unmarked Frenchman, who tucked it home calmly.
Coman thought he had put Al‑Nassr ahead in the 17th minute, collecting the ball outside the area, advancing forward, skipping past an Al Ahli defender, and firing a powerful shot into the net, but the goal was disallowed due to a foul by Marcelo Brozović earlier in the attacking move.
The Saudi side went ahead in the 23rd minute, when Sadio Mane played a clever through‑ball that sliced through the Qatari defense, allowing Angelo to compose himself and finish neatly from close range.
Coman doubled the lead on the stroke of half‑time, in the 7th minute of added time, by capitalizing on confusion in Al Ahli’s back line during a mis‑cleared cross, slotting the ball home with precision.
He completed his hat‑track in the 64th minute, receiving a pass from Angelo and lashing a low, powerful shot into the back of the net.
Two minutes after coming on as a substitute, Abdullah Al‑Hamdan sealed the rout with Al‑Nassr’s fifth goal, about 10 minutes before full time. Angelo surged down the left flank and delivered a cut‑back that the Saudi striker calmly finished to wrap up the 5–1 victory.
Al‑Nassr will now face Gamba Osaka of Japan in the AFC Champions League Two final on Saturday, 16 May.
